


These Arms Were Made For Holding You

by Who_the_hell_is_Tre_Cool



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Fluff, M/M, Niall-centric, Sickfic, implied ot5
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:08:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25628731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Who_the_hell_is_Tre_Cool/pseuds/Who_the_hell_is_Tre_Cool
Summary: ' Backstage is chaos, and he doesn't see the rest of the boys until the five of them are being directed into the car that's going to take them to the hotel. Niall doesn't really recall much of the journey, he spends most of it dosing of Harry's shoulder, ignoring the concerned looks from Liam.At the hotel, Harry gently shakes him awake, and let's Niall hang off him a bit as they head inside. Niall feels all out of sorts, bewildered by his surroundings and clinging to Harry like a child. Harry doesn't seem to mind, and takes Niall all the way to his room. '
Relationships: Niall Horan/Zayn Malik
Comments: 2
Kudos: 95





	These Arms Were Made For Holding You

**Author's Note:**

> Wrote this at 1am in the notes app of my phone so forgive me for any mistakes.
> 
> Can you tell I was yearning?

Onstage he feels fine, probably the adrenalin carrying him through it, but as soon as Niall hands his guitar off to a tech, he feels absolutely terrible. He stumbles a little, Liam's warm hand on his elbow the only thing stopping him from careening into a speaker.

"You alright Nialler? You look a bit peaky," Liam's face is pinched with worry, and Niall barely has the energy to brush him off.

His throat feels raw, like he's been gargling sand for three hours, and his head simultaneously feels like it's floating away and full of bricks. Every muscle in his body aches, a weariness he feels deep in his bones, and his nose feels stuffy and gross.

He makes a pathetic sort of noise, "I need to sleep," he mumbles, and surprisingly Liam accepts that answer.

Backstage is chaos, and he doesn't see the rest of the boys until the five of them are being directed into the car that's going to take them to the hotel. Niall doesn't really recall much of the journey, he spends most of it dosing on Harry's shoulder, ignoring the concerned looks from Liam.

At the hotel, Harry gently shakes him awake, and let's Niall hang off him a bit as they head inside. Niall feels all out of sorts, bewildered by his surroundings and clinging to Harry like a child. Harry doesn't seem to mind, and takes Niall all the way to his room.

"Get some sleep," Harry says, and Niall blinks at him blearily. Harry pats his cheek, and it takes a lot of effort not to lean into it. "Call me if you need anything."

And then Niall's alone to fend for himself. He brushes his teeth and splashes water on his face and strips down to his boxers before pulling on one of Louis jumpers that ended up in his suitcase at some point.

The hotel sheets are scratchy against his skin, and he feels slightly too warm, but he's been ready to sleep since he got off stage, and sinks into the soft mattress, prepared to pass out.

Instead, three hours go by and he's still awake.

His eyelids are drooping but there's a creature in the alleyway under the window making pained noises, and the cars outside are loud. His body feels hot and cold, head full of cotton wool, bones leaden, muscles aching.

He's so tired he could cry, feels the hot tears building behind his eyes, but he forces them down under some pretense of masculinity or being an adult or something.

Eventually he gives in and grabs his phone from where he plugged it in to charge, thumb hovering over the call icon next to Harry's name, before he changes his mind and instead shoots a text to Zayn.

 ** _cuddles?_** He sends, and the read notification pops up instantly.

 ** _omw,_** Zayn responds, **_got ur key card, dw._**

Niall breathes a sigh of relief, that Zayn is awake and also that he doesn't have to get up to open the door.

Soon, he hears the telltale click of the lock, and Zayn walks over. Niall feels himself relax instantly as Zayn fafs about, kicking his shoes off and stripping to his boxers. As soon as Zayn slips into bed, Niall curls around him, burying his face in the crook of his neck.

Zayn smells like cigarette smoke and the outside, his skin slightly cold. Niall wonders what he was doing when he texted him. Zayn's hand runs long, soothing strokes up his back, waiting for Niall to settle down comfortably.

"You okay babe?" He eventually asks, and Niall sighs.

"Better now," He mumbles, and Zayn chuckles.

"Payno said you weren't feeling well."

Niall groans, "I feel like I got hit by a lorry and then got buried alive. I'm so tired but I can't sleep, and I dunno what's wrong."

Zayn hums softly, continuing his soothing motions, and Niall feels himself relax into it. His lungs don't feel so tight when he's in Zayn's arms, but still, sleep doesn't come.

Stupidly, he thinks, tears start to well in his eyes again, and this time he's powerless to stop them. Zayn coos softly, bringing his hand to cup Niall's cheek, thumb gently swiping his tears away.

"Don't cry love," he murmurs, and Niall hears it in Louis' voice. _Don't cry love_. It brings a smile to his face, if a slightly weak one. It seems to be enough, as Zayn presses a kiss to his nose.

"There's that beautiful smile, my sunshine boy." Niall would blush if he weren't so wrung out.

The silence stretches on for a few minutes until Niall calms down, feeling somehow worse than he did before.

"What's wrong babe?" Zayn murmurs, and Niall let's out a whimper.

"I'm just tired," And it sounds stupid, but it's the truth. He's slightly ill but mostly just _tired_ , a bone deep exhaustion that one night of rest won't help, the sort of tired where he can't sleep, he'd probably be shaking if his body hadn't used up all his adrenaline for the show.

Zayn seems to understand though, as he presses a kiss to his forehead, "Stick with me tomorrow, we can nap and laze around. I'll fend off Tommo if he tries to get you to do anything."

Niall manages a weak laugh, but it's a genuine one. "Thanks. Appreciate it."

"Of course, anything for our Nialler."

**Author's Note:**

> Tumblr @mastasof-ravenkroft
> 
> <3


End file.
